Refrigerator Pickles - Sweet Dill Pickles!

This is one of our favorite family recipes for making sweet dill refrigerator pickles.  I love preserving the harvest in the simplest of ways to enjoy long after its peak season is over.  These tend to last about a year with a simple boiled brine.  There's no need to sterilize the jars, just a wash and rinse cycle in the dishwasher or a hand wash with hot soapy water is fine.

Sweet pickles prepped for the fridge, yum!

Sweet Dill Pickles

Ingredients:

3 quarts heavy of thick sliced, unpeeled cukes
2 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup regular salt
1 teaspoon alum
2 large onions sliced
3/4 to 1 cup fresh chopped dill and minced garlic

Directions:

Wash and rinse all jars.  Either use a one-gallon container or individual quart jars.

To make the brine - in a large saucepan combine sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and alum.  All measurements must be exact for proper fermentation.  Bring to a boil for one minute.  Make sure the sugar, salt, and alum are completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Slice onion and separate into rings.  Cut all rings in half.

Prepare dill and minced garlic.

Clean cucumbers and remove a half inch piece from the blossom end and discard.  Using this piece would have the potential to turn the jar bitter.  Slice cucumbers, do not peel.

Combine cucumbers, onion, dill, and garlic.  If using individual quart jars distribute evenly or place mixture in gallon container.  Make sure brine is completely cool and pour over cucumber mixture.

Seal containers, refrigerate for at least three days before serving.

I recently purchased a book containing tips and tricks for making refrigerator pickles.  It states that using either soft or distilled water keeps pickles at their peak for the longest time as the minerals present in treated water tends to break down the ingredients over time.  That's probably common knowledge to many, but as somebody relatively new to pickling, I found it interesting and helpful.

Hope you enjoy,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29